Berkenkotter & Murray
Questions for Discussing and Journaling (QDJ)
#1) I thought that Murray's writing process was very complex and extensive. When I read about all of his note-taking and planning, I realized that he is beyond a critical thinker. Murray takes tons and tons of notes before actually writing - something I also do. I have to have visual evidence of my thoughts being in order for me to start writing a paper. One thing that I cannot relate with Murray on is his revision process. Murray produces several rough drafts before his actual final draft, whereas I may have one or two, if not none. I don't produce a draft until I am almost completely sure of what I want to be in my paper and how I want it in there.
#3) Berkenkotter's study showed her that the writing process doesn't always follow a linear schedule and is flexible. Murray's processes went back and forth between planning, revising, editing, evaluating, etc. Instead of doing one thing and then the next, many processes occur at the same time and cumulatively create the paper.
Applying and Exploring Ideas (AEI)
#1) When I write, I need to be at a desk or table because it makes me feel more productive for some reason. I need my environment to be quiet and distraction-free; I don't work well with music. I take a large amount of time to write, partly because I always second guess myself. Even when writing these responses, I disputed what I would write countless times. This is also a result of my experience. I have some writing experience, but I am not always sure what i should write, which makes me spend a considerable amount of time on processes that will take less time as my experience and comfort increases.
Meta Moment
One thing that I learned from the readings is that revision is a stronger tool than I thought. You will not always get your ideas across fluent and perfect the first time that you write them out. By going back to your paper and revising, you can get an overview of the completed project and add new insight or delete unnecessary thoughts. I used to think that going back to your paper would be a waste but might be something you miss so revision is a great tool.
I feel the same I need the same kind of quiet environment to succeed in my writing. I take a while to process information and get my thoughts down too. Revision is definitely worth doing over and over till your paper looks as best as it possibly can!
ReplyDeleteHere are two revision tricks I've picked up:
ReplyDeleteRead your paper aloud, preferably to an audience. This allows you to gauge how your sentences sound together and the sort of response the paper may receive.
Also, read your paper from the last sentence to the first. This reverse filtration allows you to catch minor errors with greater ease and efficiency than reading from first to last, as your mind will not be able to "unsee" misspellings and incorrect grammatical structures.